1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system that provides a user interface to a device with a variable display function in a network environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, use of a visualized user interface (hereinafter, the visualized interface is referred to as “interface” or “UI”) has increased because a variety of people use client devices connected to a network.
In an environment such as this, if a user himself performs an arbitrary display adjustment to improve usability, the display often departs from the original intentions of the product creator, such as a manufacturer or a researcher. For example, a display according to the user's preference is performed in “an interface that is completed within the device being used” and in “an interface that is not completed within the device”.
(User Interface when Completed Only within the Device)
“Interface that is completed within the device” indicates a user interface where the device can be used regardless of the existence of a connection with the network or coordination. In an “interface that is completed within the device”, an interface that can be customized within a range intended by the product creator is provided.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the uniformity of the interface operations is ensured, even when the user changes sizes and colors as desired and the device can be used without trouble. In addition, even when the product creator provides the interface in a plurality of patterns in advance, the interface is provided following the performance of sufficient tests, and thus, the device can be used without any operational trouble. Therefore, as long as the customization of the interface is completed within the device, the device can be used with almost no problems.
(User Interface when not Completed within the Device)
“Interface that is not completed within the device” indicates an embodiment in which the subject interface is on a network, and when using the interface the device accesses and uses the interface via the network (see FIG. 2).
In the “interface that is not completed within the device”, countless product creators exist for each interface and the methods of expression are diverse. Therefore, when the user performs an arbitrary display adjustment of the display aspect of the device, a constant effect cannot regularly occur.
In addition, the interface design by the product creator must always be taken into consideration. Therefore, when the arbitrary display adjustment of the display aspect of the device is forcibly performed without taking into consideration the product creator's design, for example, situations could arises that will affect operation of the interface, including (1)layout disarray, (2) overlapping display contents, (3) character-string display disarray (in color setting, a color may become the same as that of another component, due to the color setting by the user), or (4) interface component hidden outside of the display region, can occur, as shown in FIG. 3.
(When the Device is Used in a Plurality of Locations)
In recent years, the user does not necessarily have to provide a device when using a network outdoors, and networks can be used with devices dispersed worldwide. Although an environment reaching the aim of ubiquitous computing, “anytime, anywhere”, has not yet been actualized, an environment in which a network can be accessed from a plurality of locations is being realized.
In an environment such as this, each individual accessing the network from respective devices is identified through the use of pre-existing user authentications, biometrics, authentication methods using information that can only be known by the individual, etc.
Using the above tools, user authentication per se can be performed easily. However, it is difficult to configure the display aspect of the screen of all the respective devices to the same setting. Therefore, as in FIG. 4, when a single-specification device provided in a plurality of locations is used, problems such as the following can occur. First, reproduction of the same user interface environment at all times is not easy. In addition, when using the device, certain discomforts in regards to the display aspect due to differences in display size and the like occurs, thereby decreasing operability. Furthermore, productivity may decrease due to the enforcement of an interface that differs from the preferences of the individual. Additionally, when a certain color is given a special meaning in a color scheme configuration in a user interface environment that has been customized by the individual, this may lead to an oversight of a warning display or a delayed response in other user interface environments.
In the past, when changes to the display aspect of the user interface were possible, setting values such as the changed item, the display size, and the color specifications of the display aspect were stored only within the device. Therefore, numerous methods of improving usability and technical solutions have been proposed (for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 2001-306204and Japanese Laid-open Publication 2004-56469).
However, when a conventional solution is actually used, differences can be felt in the operation between the user interface environment customized by the individual and the other interface environments. Furthermore, there is a risk that uniformity in the operability cannot be maintained due to a widening of the gap between operations caused by the differences.